A Touch of Fiction

Writing Prompt: The briefcase was heavy in his hand and the gun tucked into his waistband felt awkward.

The briefcase was heavy in his hand and the gun tucked into his waistband felt awkward. The metal was cold against his bare skin. He was afraid the gun was going to drop into his pants but he continued to walk. He hoped he wouldn't need to use it at all. He didn't feel confident in his show even though he spent the day practicing with various cans and bottles.

John wished for his boring and uneventful life again. It had been a week of running around town, living on coffee, protein bars, and only a couple hours of sleep a night.

He could kill David for getting him in this mess and that was likely to happen if he didn't get to the meeting spot on time. Well the men who have David would. He contemplated leaving his stupid friend under their care, but they wouldn't hear of it. They said if he did that he would be in deeper trouble drawing in family and other friends who needn't be involved otherwise.

He only know that Dave had stolen something extremely valuable from these men, but that is all. He wasn't even sure what was in the briefcase, but it seemed too heavy to be any reasonable sum of money, so if it was it had to be a lot.

Why David had called John after all those years of not speaking he didn't know. He hoped he would get some answers tonight.

-----

At the beginning of the week, John had just walked in the door from a long day at work when he received the call from David asking if he could come over to John's apartment and talk.

"Come on," Dave said when John declined. "John, you used to be one of my closest friends. I can't trust anyone else."

John thought he would just need advice on a girl or something like that, so he said fine and waited in the apartment they had once shared right out of college.

When he opened the door at the bell he saw David standing there looking well over his thirty years old. His hear was graying and his clothes were stained and had holes scattered over the fabric. He was carrying a black leather briefcase and a gun in the other hand resting down by his side.

"Jesus, Dave." John took one look at the gun. "What the fuck is this?"

Dave looked down. "Oh, yes, sorry." He placed it in the back of his jeans and entered the apartment before John could say anything else. He looked from wall to wall. John wanted to ask him to leave; he didn't like the idea of a gun in his place, but before he could say anything Dave walked around searching each room. "Can't be too careful these days," he said coming back into the main room and sitting down on the couch.

"Look, Dave--"

"Please, John. You have to help me out. I can trust you--only you. I know we haven't talked much these last few years. Well since, you know...but that is now all water under the bridge since she left me too. But before we were always great friends in college. I know you would never sell me out to anyone trying to harm me."

John didn't want to get into it with Dave about his ex-fiance. So he decided to focus on something else. "Maybe you should start from the beginning," John said sitting in the reclining chair across from David.

"Can't. Not time. Just know that I'm in some deep shit. And you are the only one I could come to with this."

"So I don't really get a say in this?" John said.

"Not really. I kinda already told them you were my partner and holding what they wanted."

I rubbed my hand on my face and up through my hair. "Dave, you never do think anything through, do you?"

He didn't reply.

"Who are these people?"

"Probably better if you don't know too much. That way you can claim innocence if something were to happen."

John took a deep breath. "What is in the briefcase then"

Dave placed his hand on the leather case and patted it. "What they want."

"Money?"

"The less you know--"

That was was the last time John saw Dave. He had left the case and the gun at John's apartment for safe keeping. He thought Dave should have taken the gun, but Dave just shrugged and told John he would get another one since he was sure John wouldn't have protection himself. Then Dave left the apartment to run an errand. Late that night, John received another call. This time it was an unknown number. He thought it would be Dave, but the voice was too deep, too raspy like he had been smoking cigarettes his whole life.

"Hello, John," the voice said.

"Who is this?" John said back.

"I am aware you have something of mine," the voice breathed deeply into the receiver.

John though. He didn't know what the fuck he was doing. This was movie shit.

"Look I really don't want any part of this," John said running his hands through his hair.

"Then you should pick your friends more wisely in the future, and not a thief," the rasp said.

"I don't really know anything about that." John looked at the gun sitting on the kitchen island and moved down to the floor where the case sat unopened.

"Then why do you have my property?"

"Because my idiot friend dragged me into this shit."

"Like I said. Choose your friends more wisely."

"Thanks, I'll take that into consideration next time I put out applications for friend's position."

The voice barked. "Now about my case. We have David or else we wouldn't have know that little tid bit. So you can thank him next time you see him."

"If I don't kill him first."

Another bark came from over the line. "I would have enjoyed having you on my side. It's too bad."

"What is too bad?"

"We could have done that favor for you if he had not given you the case. Now I just have to warn you if you don't bring that case other people may unnecessarily have to get involved."

"Where do I need to go?" John said. He walked over to the kitchen and held the gun. It felt lighter than he thought it should.

"I knew that would get your attention. Do you want me to still kill David for you?" The voice laughed.

John thought for a second then shaking his head said, "No, of course not."

"I'll take your pause into consideration."

The man on the phone gave John a list of instructions. This seemed, to him, that there was more to this than just a stolen black leather case. When the man finished and told him where to meet and at what time at the end of the week he said good luck and the line went dead. He never did find out his name.

For the next week John ran around town meeting various people, delivering envelopes that appeared on his doorstep every morning after sleeping for only an hour or so. He supposed he was doing the job Dave did when he wasn't being held hostage.

Here he was at the end of the week walking toward the group of people waiting for him. It was dark but he could make out the shapes of the people in front of him. There was three in front and the rest lined up behind them. The three stood in a triangle. The one standing on point, John guessed, was the leader and probably to one he talked to on the phone that night that seemed like forever ago.

Suddenly, the lights on the surrounding buildings turned on. Illuminating the scene for John. David was standing in front. He looked remarkably better than he had the last time John saw him in his apartment. His dark hair was slicked back. His clothes were clean and hole free. Probably ironed just before this meeting. He looked like he was waiting for a hot date. The two men behind him were dressed similarly, their hands behind their backs, feet shoulder-width apart.

"What the fuck, Dave?" John said when he was a hundred feet away from the group.

"I'm sorry to get you involved, John. But you were a great service this week. And I couldn't have done it without you." David wore a Cheshire-like grin on his face. "You distributed that money--all counterfeit, I should say-- to all my enemies so easily. No one could have done a better job than you."

John reached behind him for the gun.

"Don't be stupid, John. I know you have the gun. Hoped you would bring it. I left it there on purposed to see it you would have the guts to carry it around. You were always so clean cut. Though you don't look like it now. You look like shit."

John hadn't had much time to shower or much of anything during the week, so he thought he looked like David did when he first came to see him in the beginning of the week.

John waited for Dave to continue.

"What? Not going to say anything?" Dave said.

"I'm waiting for some answers. You can start off with what is in the case. Should be an easy one for you since it is yours."

"That ol' thing? Just a ruse really. To make it look like it really was something important. And obviously it worked. I don't even remember what's inside." David closed the distance between him and John. His flunkies stayed behind. He took the case and and opened it easily. John hadn't even tried to open it. He saw the three digit locking system and assumed he needed a code, so he didn't even try. "You didn't even try to open it. See? This is why I knew it had to be you to help me out. Anyone else would have wanted to peek." He held up the open case for John to see. "Ah, that's right. The real money."

"So this was all about money?" John said.

"Isn't it always? But it was not just about money. Protection also. See all those other guys are impeding on my business. They take this money, start spending it, putting it into banks. I phone a little anonymous tip and boom they are taken out and I am left here to run everything. Of course, if everything goes according to plan then it helps you out too."

"Why?"

"Use that book smart brain of yours, John. Once they start going down you will be the one they will come after first, looking for me of course. But I will be long gone. And then if they can't find me they will kill you and your family."

"Why did you have to go get me involved?"

"I told you. You're the only one I could trust. I needed someone clean. Someone who I knew wouldn't get curious and open the case even though it was left unlocked. Purely accidental by the way." David put his hand on John's shoulder. "You're clean, relatively, and didn't go running when my right hand man here called you the night I left." He pointed to the man on his left side.

David laughed his clean throaty laugh. "Well left-hand man, but that just doesn't sound right, does it?"

John grabbed for the gun from his waistband and aimed at Dave's head. He was hoping it was right between the eyes. The sound of multiple guns cocking at the same time sounded from behind Dave.

David sighed. "John, John, what did I tell you?" He put his hand on John's arm and pushed down. John let him, he knew he would never even get a shot off. "Don't be stupid. You're in no trouble with me. I don't want to have to kill you. In fact, now that I have my case of money back you are perfectly free to go back to your normal, boring life as much as you can. I'll try and get them taken down as fast as I can to minimize your damage."

John didn't say anything else. He turned to walk away.

"Oh and John," Dave said. John stopped walking but didn't turn. "You might want to practice some more with that gun. Just in case." Dave laughed and turned. He walked back to his group. The lights on the building went dark before anyone reached where they were going before the explosions started going off.

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This story could clearly be a bigger story, so this would just be a section of it if I were to continue on with it. When I pulled this writing prompt out I couldn't help but be a little hesitant at first because I knew I would write something with the man having to do work for someone he wasn't used to in order to protect him and his family and friends. It isn't really edited or researched, so there are probably holes in my story but that is the fun thing about free writing is just looking for different material to write about.
Anyway, hope you enjoy the story. As cliche as it might be, or as vague or whatnot.

--K.R.

A Touch of Fiction

Thursday, May 23, 2013

The Briefcase

Monday, May 20, 2013

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